3 Ways I’m Exploring Travel With Cats

Here we go! This year I’ve decided that I’m going to explore travel with cats. Now that the weather is starting to warm up, it will be a great time for some outdoor activity with Manna and Dexter. Travel training is about to begin! Over the next few months, I will be showing you our progress with 3 different ways that I’m exploring travel with cats!

Safety First

Dexter trusts me to keep him safe.

The safety of my cats is of utmost importance to me. As I explore travel with cats, I will not be letting them wander the outdoors on their own. Cats are much safer when they are only allowed outdoors with direct supervision from their humans!

Our first stop in our journey will be at our veterinarian’s office. While we are there, we will make sure that Manna and Dexter are up-to-date on all of the preventative care that they need to make sure they won’t be attracting any horrible diseases or parasites while we are outside. General health concerns will also be addressed. If there is any reason why the veterinarian believes that Manna or Dexter are not healthy enough for travel, our plans will have to be revised.

Travel with Cats Method #1: On a Harness

Manna enjoying a ride in the shopping cart at the pet store!

Harness training is important for any kitty that wants to travel. Not only are harnesses adorable as cat fashion, they allow us humans to make sure that our kitties don’t get separated from us or end up in a dangerous situation. No one wants their kitty running out into the road!

A harness allows for on-leash control without putting unnecessary (and potentially dangerous) tension on the cat’s neck the way a leash attached to a collar might. A cat won’t be able to wiggle out of a properly fitting harness. The cat can still wear a collar with an ID tag while wearing a harness or the ID tag can be attached to the harness.

Manna has worn a harness before. She enjoyed getting to go outside and sit in the sun. The neighbors enjoyed getting to meet her and she ate up every moment of attention. She has been to the pet store before too!

Dexter has yet to try on a harness, but I think he will get used to it easily. He loves all of the guests that come over and saying hello to our neighbors from our balcony.

Will they walk on a leash? We’re going to give it a try. A pocket full of treats should help to motivate the cats to walk along with me. Either way, I’m sure that they will enjoy being the center of attention in their adorable matching harnesses. All of the kids in our apartment complex will want to pet them.

Travel with Cats Method #2: In a Stroller

Whether or not the cats like walking, I love a good walk! Manna and Dexter would make great exercise partners. A pet stroller may be just what they need to be happy on a stroll outside.

Besides the fact that they don’t have to walk, a pet stroller can provide cats with some privacy. Since cats are territorial creatures, being outside of “their territory” can sometimes be a bit scary. Some pet strollers come with a privacy screen that can help a cat to feel a little more secure. It gives them the sense that they can see the world without being seen themselves.

Travel with cats via stroller could be great for a lot of different environments. It would be fun to take the cats in a stroller around our neighborhood, at the park, at the pet store, and at other pet-friendly events. Every year, my local animal rescue does a walk/run fundraiser in September. It would be awesome to bring my rescued cats out to support pets that are still with the rescue.

Travel with Cats Method #3: Road Trip Style

That’s right, Playful Kitty is going to hit the road! Unless plans change, we will be traveling by car to the BlogPaws 2017 Conference in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It looks like Manna and Dexter (pending any problems at the veterinarian) will be coming along with Dave (my husband) and me. It’s really an exciting idea to me. Have no fear – we will cover the trip with tons of photos and video to share with all of you.

A really important part of travel with cats via car is having an appropriate carrier. Dave is a school bus driver for students with special needs and vehicle safety is a big part of what he is trained to do. There are a few cat carriers and car harnesses that have passed actual safety tests. We are looking into getting these for Manna and Dexter for the big trip.

In the time between now and our trip to BlogPaws, we will be taking special car training trips with the cats. I want to make sure that they have had several trips in the car that didn’t end up at the veterinarian’s office before we head down to Myrtle Beach. Some car trips are fun! A little bit of familiarity with how being in the car feels, sounds, and smells can’t hurt.

Will the kitties sing the song of their people in the car? Probably. That is what they do on the way to the veterinarian. Of course, our veterinarian is less than 10 minutes from our home. I’ve taken long trips with kitties before and my experience tells me that they will sing for an hour or so and then fall asleep (only to sing again after any stops). My intention is to bring calming treats for them and make sure they get plenty of attention throughout the trip.

23 Comments

the permanent residents don’t travel, but mom has taken kittens places before. singing is expected….and then they realize there is no escape and give it up (the trip to Nashville they sang for about 1.5 hours – stopping just before mom threatened to drive off the bridge in Cincinnati)

How exciting for Manna and Dexter! Now my human’s really bummed I can’t make it to Myrtle Beach to meet them. I’m sure they will do great! My biggest piece of advice is to test the harnesses you are using inside your house before going on a road trip. My human was surprised to find I could pull myself out of some harnesses she formerly thought were secure. Take a bunch of trips to the pet store, or anywhere else you can take them, so they are exposed to a lot of noise and people (and maybe other critters), to help get them accustomed to everything that goes on at BlogPaws. My human’s biggest flaw is that she does not take me out enough between cat show trips and therapy cat visits. It IS a lot of work and makes shopping trips take twice as long, but it really does help.

Oh, and see if you can get them to use the litter box when you want them to. My human always makes me do a pit stop before we go out, whether it’s to the store, or out of the country!

(1 of 2) Traveling with cats is SO much fun. Their curiosity and interest makes every trip a huge barrel of smiles!

Thank you for reminding cat travelers that all adventure cats should be harness trained. Even if traveling mostly in her carrier, stroller, or front pack, Amelia always wears her harness, leash and ID tags, just in case. If anything happened to a zipper, having the harness and leash on is one more measure to insure my traveling cat does not become a lost cat.

Additions to your first step, at the vet: All traveling cats should be microchipped! Make sure to have the vet do a chip check so you are sure all the info is accurate and will help if a lost kitty were to happen while you are on the road. Also while at the vet, get a summary of the kitties vaccination and health records so if you need to visit a vet while traveling, you can share that you are up to date easily.

I agree with Summer about testing and testing and testing cat harnesses. Amelia has also surprised me by slipping out of a harness I thought was secure. I always bring at least two harnesses along on a trip and I also frequently check to make sure it is adjusted properly.

During my cat travels, I have been in situations where walking on a leash or riding in stroller won’t work for Amelia to best enjoy the experience. So I have a front carrier for her: http://www.cascadiannomads.com/pet-adventure-blog/cat-selfie-the-carrier-mesh-cloak-of-invisibility You might be able to fit two in a slightly larger sized pack but there are plenty of comfy carriers and bags on the market. Maybe Manna and Dexter would like to each have their own sling carrier? I do recommend making sure you have a way to comfortably carry traveling cats that is more comfortable for you and the cats than super, safe car crates. It is also nice to leave the car crate securely buckled in the car, and still be able to get out and enjoy the scenery where a stroller might not roll or leash walking might be too scary. (This has been true for us at the Grand Canyon, among other great destinations!)

Sorry for the looooong comment(s) but I always have too much say about pet travel! I just love seeing pets get out to safely enjoy the world with their humans! Happy and safe travels!

Our mom is looking forward to seeing all of you in Myrtle Beach! We don’t travel, except to the vet. Lexy hates leaving the house and is terrified, and I don’t like the carrier. I’m an escape artist, and can only go in a hard carrier.

I’ve always been curious to try the stroller when I had my cat. (She’s passed away now. I have done the road trip idea in the past. Best time ever. I was guilty of letting them sit in the back window. They loved it.

Oh this is fun! I can’t wait to see your tweets about travelling!!!! How exciting for you all – we hope all goes really well. W e love the strollers idea. I wish Dusty would go outside but he’s stopped now, maybe he just feels safer.

This sounds like a very sensible plan! I used to take my cat out on a harness, but he didn’t really enjoy it. He was a stray cat before he lived with us, and I think he remembered how dangerous it can be for a cat outside.

I’m looking forward to reading about your new cat travel journey. Unfortunately, I don’t think this would be my 18+ year cat Nutter’s favorite. But, if I had it to do over again, and a confident kitty, I would definitely try outdoor adventures. Good luck, can’t wait to see how they do.

Nala was always a little wild and hated going in the car. I do not think I could have put a harness on her. Kilo wears a safe harness and sits in the back seat but is not really a fan of car travel for more than 5 mins. Good luck with the training and look forward to seeing you all in Myrtle Beach.

Woohoo!!! We are so excited to get to meet Manna and Dexter in a couple months! We are also excited about them joining to ranks of Adventure Cats! It’s so much fun to be able to bring your cats on adventures.
I will second the advice mentioned above about testing harnesses. Kylo Ren has managed to wiggle out of harnesses before when I thought they were secure. Before you take them out in the harness, see if you can manage to pull it over their head or wiggle them out of it without actually unlatching it. The way Kylo has gotten out of harnesses before is by backing out of them. I’ve found that the ones that are like vests (like the one Sophie wears) seem to be the most secure. I just got Kylo a vest-type harness too.
Good luck with your training!!! Let me know if you have any questions or anything 🙂

Good luck with your “experiment”. It sounds like you’ll be having a lot of adventures this summer. Have fun on your road trip to BlogPaws too. I’ve driven a few years and it was great. Sorry, no cats so no advice… although my dogs are about the size of a cat 🙂

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